1)

(a)Our Mishnah permits attaching a bucket to a well - using a belt, but not a regular rope, which he will be Mevatel there (rendering the knot permanent).

(b)Rebbi Yehudah - permits even in the case of a regular rope.

(c)He then adds a principle that one is not Chayav for any knot that is not permanent (see Tosfos DH 'Klal').

2)

(a)The rope in our Mishnah which the Tana Kama forbids cannot be referring to a regular rope - because, seeing as then the owner would be Mevatel it there, the Tana would be speaking about a permanent knot, and on what grounds would Rebbi Yehudah permit it?

(b)Assuming that he is then referring to a weaver's rope (which the owner is not Mevatel there, the Rabbanan forbid it - because they decree a weaver's rope on account of an ordinary one, whereas Rebbi Yehudah does not.

(c)The Tana Kama in a Beraisa, permits tying the rope of a bucket that snapped, by tying the two ends together by means of a bow. Rebbi Yehudah - permits tying a belt or a band around it, but forbids tying a bow.

(d)This creates a problem - as it seems to clash with our Mishnah, where the Chachamim decree a. because of b., whereas Rebbi Yehudah does not.

3)

(a)To reconcile the Beraisa with the Mishnah, we explain that ...

1. ... the Rabbanan - maintain that whereas a person will not confuse a bow with a knot, he will confuse a weaver's rope for an ordinary one.

2. ... Rebbi Yehudah, who permits using a weaver's rope in our Mishnah, forbids tying a bow - not because of a decree, but because he considers a bow to be a knot (and is therefore Asur min ha'Torah).

4)

(a)Rav Chiya bar Ashi Amar Rav - permits tying one end of a rope to a cow, and the other end, to the stable.

(b)Rav Acha Aricha (alias Rav Acha bar Papa) queries Rav however, from a Beraisa - which permits tying the other end of the rope that is already attached to the stable, to a cow or vice-versa ...

(c)... but warns against - doing precisely what Rav permits.

(d)To reconcile Rav with the Beraisa we establish him - by a weaver's rope (which the owner is not Mevatel there), whereas the Beraisa is speaking about a regular one (which he is).

5)

(a)Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel permits handling the upper and lower weavers'-rods on Shabbos. We would otherwise have thought - that the owner is particular about their being used for anything else, in which case they would be Muktzah Machmas Chesaron Kis. And Shmuel comes to teach us that the owner is not particular about using them for another purpose, and that they therefore have the Din of 'Muktzah Machmas Isur Melachah', and may used for any purpose that is permitted on Shabbos.

(b)They asked Rav Yehudah whether the same applies to the heavy beams of the weaving-loom. His response to the She'eilah was to hum and haw, since he was not sure what to answer, since the beams due to their heaviness, are not generally used for other things.

(c)Rav Nachman Amar Shmuel however - ruled that ...

1. ... they are permitted.

2. ... the posts of the weaving-loom that are stuck into the ground are forbidden.

6)

(a)Rava queried Rav Nachman's previous ruling - by asking him why he drew a distinction between the two beams and the posts.

(b)The reason cannot be due to the fact that pulling the posts out of the ground leaves a hole in the ground - because, since the hole was already there before, there is nothing wrong with that.

(c)The basis for this is a Mishnah in Kil'ayim, which discusses a turnip or radishes that are buried in the ground underneath a vine. Assuming that some of their leaves are protruding, the Tana now rules - that they ...

1. ... are not subject to Kil'ayim and Shevi'is (since they are not considered to be planted).

2. ... remain subject to Ma'aser.

3. ... are not considered attached, and that one may therefore pull them out on Shabbos.

(d)The reason for Shmuel's stringent ruling regarding the weaving posts is -because we are afraid that one may come to fill in the holes on Shabbos, (something which we are not afraid of in a field).

(e)Rebbi Yochanan asked Rebbi Yehudah bar Liva'i about handling the upper and lower weaver's-rods on Shabbos. He replied - in the negative (not like Shmuel).

7)

(a)Our Mishnah ...

1. ... permits folding clothes that one takes off on Friday night.

2. ... permits making the beds on Friday night - for Shabbos morning, but not ...

3. ... forbids making the beds on Shabbos morning for Motzei Shabbos.

(b)Rebbi Yishmael -permits ...

1. ... folding clothes and making the beds on Yom Kippur for Shabbos ...

2. ... and bringing the Chalavim of Shabbos on Yom-Kippur, but not vice-versa.

(c)Rebbi Akiva - forbids bringing the Chalavim of Shabbos on Yom-Tov, too.

8)

(a)de'Bei Rebbi Yanai confines folding clothes on Shabbos to one person (but not two). Even one person however, he only permits - if the clothes are new and white, and provided he has nothing else to change into.

(b)The fact that Raban Gamliel's family had other clothes - resulted in Beis Raban Gamliel never folding (even) their white clothes on Shabbos.

(c)Someone who has no Shabbos clothes to wear - should lower the hem of his garment (which, in those days, ordinary working people tended to raise during the week, and tie with their belts, in order to prevent them from becoming dirty) to the ground.

(d)This is not considered a conceited thing to do - because, since he does not go with long clothes during the week, everyone will know that he is doing this li'Chevod Shabbos.

9)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk "ve'Chibadto" - that one should wear different clothes on Shabbos than one wears during the week.

(b)Rebbi Yochanan, would refer to his clothes as 'Mechabdusai' (those that honor me).

(c)And we learn from the Pasuk there ...

1. ... "me'Asos Derachecha" - that one's gait on Shabbos should be different than it is during the week.

2. ... "mi'M'tzo Cheftzecha" - that on the one hand, one's personal financial matters are forbidden on Shabbos, and on the other, they are permitted when they are for a Mitzvah (such as fixing Tzedakah ['Cheftz'cha Asurin, Cheftzei Shamayim Mutarin']).

3. ... "ve'Daber (Davar)" - that one's speech on Shabbos should be different than during the week (devoid of business talk and personal accounts [see also Tosfos Amud Beis]).

4. ... "Davar" - that speaking is forbidden, but thinking is permitted.

10)

(a)Based on the Derashah 'she'Lo Tehei Hiluchach be'Shabbos ... ', Rav Huna Amar Rav say permits jumping across a pool of water that is too long to take in one's stride - only if he is able to straddle it with his two feet, but not if it is wider than that.

(b)Rava rejects Rav Huna's ruling however. He maintains that one has no option but to jump across, irrespective of how wide it is. The problem with ...

1. ... going round it is - that it increases the Tircha (bother) on Shabbos.

2. ... wading through it is - that if one's clothes become wet, he is liable to inadvertently wring them out on Shabbos (for which he will be Chayav Chatas).

(c)When Rebbi asked Rebbi Yishmael b'Rebbi Yossi this very She'eilah - he countered with the question who permitted it during the week ...

(d)... since taking large steps - the danger causes a person to lose one five hundredth of his eyesight ...

(e)... the antidote to which is - drinking the wine of Kidush on Friday night.

11)

(a)Rebbi Yishmael b'Rebbi Yossi asked Rebbi whether one is permitted to eat earth on Shabbos. It might be forbidden - because it is similar to the decree of 'Shechikas Samemanim' (grinding spices and the like for a cure).

(b)Again Rebbi countered - who permitted it during the week ...

(c)... as it endangers the person who eats it (as we shall see shortly).

(d)Rebbi Ami compares someone who eats Babylonian clay to someone who eats the flesh of his own ancestors - who died there and whose graves are not properly marked [see Maharsha]).

12)

(a)The problem with the second Lashon of Rebbi Ami, comparing someone who eats Babylonian clay to someone who eats Shekatzim and Remasim (with reference to those that died during the great Flood) is - that the Shekatzim and Remasim that died there disintegrated completely, as the Torah testifies; they did not become worms.

(b)And the reason that he said that is - to reinforce the Chachamim's decree, to discourage people from eating it, due to the danger it involved.

(c)Bavel is also known as ...

1. ... Shin'ar (Resh Lakish) - because all the people who died there were 'emptied' into Bavel.

2. ... Metzulah (Rebbi Yochanan) - because all the people who died there flowed into Bavel.

(d)When a certain man ate some Babylonian) clay, and then some dates - the dates grew inside his stomach and pierced his heart and he died.

13)

(a)Rebbi Elazar interprets Naomi's instructions to Rus to put on her clothes to mean - that she should put on her Shabbos clothes.

(b)Based on the Pasuk "Tein le'Chacham ve'Yechkam Od", the initiative shown by ...

1. ... Rus was - that even though Naomi instructed her "ve'Rachatzt, va'Sacht, ve'Samt Simlosayich" (to put on her Shabbos clothes before going down to the barn), to hint to Boaz to 'marry' her, Rus decided it was more prudent to change into her Shabbos clothes only after she reached the barn, so as not to attract the attention of the men whom she might meet on the way.

2. ... the little Shmuel was - that instead of replying 'Speak Hash-m, because Your servant is listening' (as Shmuel had instructed him) he responded with 'Speak, because Your servant is listening' (omitting the word 'Hashem', since he did not know for certain that it was in fact, the voice of Hash-m.)

(c)Rebbi Elazar interprets the Pasuk "va'Teilech, va'Tavo, va'Telaket ba'Sadeh" (implying that she came before she left), to mean - that Rus went down to the field (to collect the Matnos Aniyim) a few times, but she would not begin collecting before she found a group of refined harvesters who would not molest her.

(d)Boaz inquired about Rus from his foreman (suggesting that he had been looking at her), after perceiving how a. whenever she found two grains of corn, she would take them; three, she would leave (conforming with the Halachah that three grains of corn that fall in one spot are not Leket), and b. whenever she spied grains of corn on the ground, she made a point of sitting down before picking them up, rather than bend down (which is immodest) even though it meant collecting less.

14)

(a)The problem with the Pasuk "ve'Choh Sidbakin im Na'arosai" is - that it has connotations of the intimate relationship between man and wife (see Agados Maharsha), and was therefore inappropriate for Bo'az to use.

(b)Boaz was nevertheless prompted to use it - because he was struck by the way (that, in stark contrast to Orpah, who kissed her mother-in-law -Naomi - and promptly turned her back on her) "Rus cleaved to her". This led him to the realization that he was permitted to marry (make Yibum with) her.

(c)We learn from the Lashon "Vayomer Lah Boaz ... Goshi Halom", and from David ha'Melech, who said "Mi Anochi ... Ki Havi'asni Ad Halom" - that the Lashon "Halom" always refers to Malchus. Consequently, he was hinting to her that the kingdom of David was destined to descend from her.

(d)Rebbi ...

1. ... Elazar explains the significance of the fact that Bo'az instructed Rus to dip her bread in vinegar - inasmuch as it is good to drink vinegar in the summer.

2. ... Shmuel bar Nachmeni explains - that King Menasheh, whose deeds were sour like vinegar, would descend from her.

15)

(a)Rebbi Elazar explains ...

1. ... Boaz's instructions to Rus to sit beside the harvesters (rather than among them) - to hint that Malchus Beis David was destined to be split, and that the ten tribes would establish their own kingdom.

2. ... the Pasuk "va'Tochal, va'Tisba, va'Tosar" - as a reference to the wealth of David, Shlomo, and Chizkiyah.

(b)According to the second Lashon, "va'Tochal" refers to the generations of both David and Shlomoh - "va'Tisba" to that of Chizkiyah and "va'Tosar" to the generation of Rebbi (who descended from David too).

(c)In support of the previous Derashah, Mar said - that Rebbi's chief stable-hand was wealthier than Shavur Malka, King of Persia.

(d)Alternatively - "va'Tochal" might be referring to this world, "va'Tisba", to the time of Moshiach and "va'Tosar" to the era of Olam ha'Ba.

16)

(a)The Pasuk in Yeshayah (in connection with the burning of Sancheriv, King of Assyria's vast army) writes "ve'Sachas Kevodo, Yekad Yekod ki'Yekod Aish" (Yeshayah). The basis for Rebbi Yochanan, who explains that their bodies were burned but not their clothes is - his tendency to refer to his clothes as 'Mechabdusai' ('those that give me honor').

(b)He therefore translates "ve'Sachas Kevodo" to mean 'underneath their clothes' (with reference to their bodies), whereas Rebbi Elazar (who did not refer to his clothes in this way) translates it as 'instead of their honor' (with reference to their bodies, there were ashes and burning.

(c)There is no practical difference between the two explanations.

(d)When Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni compares the burning of Sancheriv's army to the burning of Nadav and Avihu, he means - that it was their Nashemos that burned, not their bodies.

(e)And he translates the Pasuk - like Rebbi Yochanan, 'underneath their bodies' (because like Rebbi Elazar, he did not refer to his clothes as 'Mechabdusai' (but his body).

17)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk "u'Fashat es Begadav, ve'Lavash Begadim Acherim" - that wearing nicer clothes on special occasions is Chashuv before Hash-m.

(b)Tana de'Bei Rebbi Yishmael learns from there - that a servant who pours out the wine for his master, should not wear the same grubby clothes that he wore whilst cooking.